It doesn't have to be white. Use a gutsy blue or an ethereal green to bring beauty to this multifunctional space. Designers share their best kitchen color ideas.

Blue

Blue

"I'm a big blue-and-white freak. It says nautical, crisp, and timeless to me. I painted my kitchen cabinets this great blue—almost a navy but with some periwinkle thrown in — and did white statuary marble on the countertops, and blue-and-white wallpaper. And of course the cabinets are crammed with blue-and-white pottery." —Dan Barsanti

Black

Black

"In an open kitchen that's the first thing you see as you walk in the front door, I needed something dramatic. So I painted all the cabinetry black, which really shows off the stainless steel appliances, the copper tile backsplash, and the glass pendants. Blackis handsome. It has solidity and heft." —Palmer Weiss